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Op-ed Placement

To say it’s been a frustrating year for conservatives would be a vast understatement. After running for years on promises of a full repeal of Obamacare and winning elections in a sweeping and historic victory, Republicans couldn’t even manage to pass the repeal they passed months before under former President Barack Obama.

Even worse, it looks as though the tax plan might be heading the same way. Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., recently announced that he would not support the bill as it now stands. And although the bill did pass through the House and the Senate Finance Committee, that doesn’t mean the plan will actually pass on the Senate floor – just look at what happened to the skinny repeal. Even if something does pass, it’s highly likely that the so-called “moderates” such as Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and John McCain, R-Ariz., will band together and water down the bill so that it doesn’t actually make the changes our economy so desperately needs.

Whenever Republicans run for office, they say they’re going to go to work to reduce spending and the size and scope of government. But when they arrive in Washington, to paraphrase Stephen Slivinski, many Republicans stop viewing Washington as a cesspool and treat it more like a hot tub. They get comfortable with Congress because they want to rise in the ranks of the conference, get a coveted committee like Appropriations, and work their way into committee chairmanship or a leadership position.

Responsible spending is not something Congress has proven itself to be good at, under Republican or under Democratic leadership. The Bipartisan Budget Act, the absolutely atrocious cap-busting deal proposed by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R- Ky.) and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) which busts the Budget Control Act caps by more than twice what the previous two deals combined did, proves this.

FreedomWorks Vice President of Legislative Affairs Jason Pye made the following statement following the cloture vote to break a Democratic filibuster on the continuing resolution, H.R. 195, in the Senate:

FreedomWorks President Adam Brandon made the following statement regarding reports that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is considering skipping budget reconciliation, throwing away the best chance to further a conservative agenda this year.

FreedomWorks Vice President of Legislative Affairs Jason Pye made the following statement following the advancement of the House tax bill out of the Ways and Means Committee and recent announcements about the Senate’s tax reform bill:

Coming off a week-long recess and without any significant legislative victories this year, the pressure is on the Senate this week to pass the FY 2018 budget resolution, S.Con.Res. 25, which provides reconciliation instructions for fundamental tax reform. The House passed its own version of the FY 2018 budget, H.Con.Res. 71, on October 5 by a vote of 219 to 206.